Mayasa Hassan, shujaa in her own field

You might take her for granted when you see the way she controls traffic at the Buxton stage, but Mayasa Hassan traffic officer Mombasa County, has encountered so many challenges to the extent of being “kidnnaped” by some drivers, who despised her because of her gender; as she tries to do her job.

“This job is very challenging and that is why I decided to do it so as to show the ladies that as a lady you have to believe in yourself, it’s not only men who can do it.”

It’s been a year now since Mayasa popularly known as Maya by her workmates, worked as a traffic commandant in Mombasa County; position that she holds with so much pride.

Behind this beautiful light-skinned lady with an inviting smile, is a lady that commands a lot of respect in her field of occupation. She is what an urban dictionary would call “solicious”.

“She is one of our female officers who is very tough and hardworking and that is why I have put her in charge of all the officers in the Buxton area, I gave her this position because her work speaks for itself, we have over eight male officers in that area but she is the only one who we saw fit to take leadership,” Says Inspector Yusuf Mohammed, Deputy Traffic commandant Mombasa County.

Being around her, made me feel a little bit intimidated but she managed to calm my nerves down, when she offered to help me untangle my earphone wires after seeing I was having a hard time with them; not only is she such a remarkable person, but also solicitous.

A mother of one Maya starts her day at 5 AM as she goes for her usual morning prayers. Afterwards, shetakes her daughter to school before she comes back to change into her green uniform so as to get to work before traffic builds up at 8 am. She spends the whole day till 8pm when the traffic dies down.

One wonders when she gets time to spend with her daughter with such a schedule, but the iron lady has all this figured out.

“Sometimes when am needed to go to school I ask for permission, but so as not to risk my job at times I just take some time off to go see her and see how she is doing in her studies and in the evening she goes to her grandmother’s house, where I pick her after work.In my free time we always play together,” she says.

Even with the challenges at home she is still faced with challenges in her field of office because of her being a woman, she however does not let her guard down.

Mayasa Hassan taking her light lunch with her workmates ready for the job.

“There is a day I stopped a vehicle for disobeying a traffic law and the driver decided to drive away with me saying as a woman there is nothing I can do, I stood firm and told them to take me where they want to; but fortunately when we reached Shanzu, we met some officers who were able to intervene” She adds.

I ask her why she has never quit despite all these challenges, she says her boss is her hero as he gives her hope and when he notices that if she or any of her female colleagues is afraid of going to a certain region, he takes them there; so as to show that they can be able to work in any area.

Mayasa Hassan is a “Shujaa” and an example that all women should emulate.

“Ladies do not be afraid to work in such fields its challenging yes, but if I can do it, then who are you to say no!” She says